


well-groomed

by Obsessionista



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Gen, Grooming, Hair Brushing, Human/Pokemon Relationship (platonic), Post-Canon, grooming as in taking care of a pet but there's also some references to the other sort of grooming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24181813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Obsessionista/pseuds/Obsessionista
Summary: Opal happens to come across Bede taking care of his Pokemon after a match with Raihan.
Relationships: Beet | Bede & Brimuon | Hatterene, Beet | Bede & Poplar | Opal
Comments: 5
Kudos: 68





	well-groomed

It was a beautiful day in Ballonlea. The sun was shining so bright that some of its rays even made its way through the top of the giant trees towering over the town, making everything look even more radiant and magical than usual. 

Inside one of the homes in this town, a clock striked eleven. Almost time for lunch, the former gym leader of Ballonlea thought, looking up from a sweater she was knitting. And yet, there was no sign of the young man she was mentoring.

Bede had went out early this morning, headed towards Hammerlocke where he was invited to have some sparring matches against the dragon type gym leader, Raihan. It was no question that battles between the two would be intense, but would they take this long? Opal doubted it. 

She waited a few more minutes, before deciding to take matters into her own hands and heading out to search for the boy.

First, she started looking through places in Ballonlea. The gym, the Pokemon Center, even some of her neighbour's homes, thinking they might have invited the boy over. But she couldn't find him anywhere, and no one else had seen him since the morning hours.

After that, she decided to look through the edges of the Glimwood Tangle. Looking through it in its entirety would've taken forever, and she knew that unlike a certain former champion, Bede had an excellent sense of direction, so the chances of him having gotten lost were slim. Still, she wanted to give it a try, and decided that if her search proved unfruitful then, she'd call Raihan and ask him if Bede was still with him. 

However, she'd found him faster than expected. In a small clearing just outside the town, Opal happened to come across the young boy, who was sitting crosslegged on the forest floor. And he wasn't alone. Sitting in front of him was his Hatterene, who was facing him as he seemed to reach out a hand towards it. At first Opal thought he was playing with its hair, a little bit of a strange sight. But as she came closer, she saw that he was brushing it instead.

Hatterene noticed her before he did, and it tapped its trainer on the shoulder with its arm-like appendage before pointing behind him. 

"Huh?... Oh, hello Miss Opal." 

"Hello, Bede dear. Taking care of your Pokemon after your matches?" she asked, and moved to sit down beside him.

He nodded. "I had already taken them to the Pokemon Center to take care of their injuries, but even they couldn't get all the sand off of them, so I'm doing that myself."

Opal smiled, amused. "Ah, Raihan and his love for sandstorms. Yes, it's quite a nightmare to get a team clean after a battle with him. If it could talk in a human language, my dear Alcremie could tell so you many stories of all the times he's turned the poor thing from a cream cake into a mud pie."  
That got a little laugh out of Bede, though he tried to cover it up with a cough. 

His Hatterene made a quiet whining noise, signalling him to get back to brushing it, and so he did. Opal noted that he had done an excellent job of it already, with the Pokemon's hair looking as clean and smooth as fine silk, with only a little bit of sand still clinging to it.

"What a lovely Pokemon. It's not surprising it is the star of your team, it steals the show like no one else."

"Indeed. I never thought she'd become so beautiful when I first got her as a Hatenna. She looked so small and feeble..."  
The Hatterene huffed at this, which got a chuckle out of Bede. "I still loved her a lot back then. And I still do now."

"Tracking down and catching a Hatenna, let alone one capable of Gigantamax, is no small feat. You must be quite keen-eyed."

Knowing how much the boy loved being complimented, she expected him to look pleased at this comment. But his expression was somewhat stern instead, and he just shook his head. "I didn't catch her myself, actually."

"Oh?"

"She was given to me as a gift." The boy said. "By the chairm-... by Rose. As my first Pokemon."

Opal scoffed. That Rose! They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and to no one applied this saying better than to him. He was a good man in a way, wanting only the best for Galar, but his actions had often been questionable, if not downright insane. His plan to awaken Eternatus to use it as a new source of energy for Galar was one example of this. And giving a young, troubled boy like Bede a Hatenna as his first Pokemon was another.

The evolutionary line of Hatenna was made of fine Pokemon, no doubt about that. But they are hardly fit as starters for young children, emotionally sensitive as these Pokemon are. Especially not for orphan children.  
Opal had no clue what Bede's childhood had been like exactly. The boy hasn't quite opened up about things like that to her yet, and other sources of information about him were scarce, and so she just knew about as much as everyone else. So it was hard to say what this boy has been through before, whether or not he came from a good or bad background, and what exactly those "family troubles" were that caused him to be put up for adoption. But even if he grew up under the best possible circumstances, the separation from his parents alone must've caused him quite the emotional turmoil. And orphanages weren't always all fun and sunshine either.  
To give a boy in such a situation a Pokemon that even adults often found tricky to raise... no, she just couldn't make sense of it. 

But she could picture little Bede and his new Pokemon clear as day. She could picture a little boy who'd watch and talk to others with dislike and a sliver of superiority in his expression and voice, yet he'd hold the little pastel-colored Pokemon that was entrusted to him in his arms as gently as he could. A boy who'd chase after the Hatenna when it would run off again, scared by an emotional outburst. A boy who'd stay up late at night, reading through as many books on Pokemon behaviour and proper Pokemon care as he could to learn how to make his own like him more. 

Opal wondered- was this what caused him to become so closed-off to others? Pushing his emotions down, bottling them up, for the sake of his Pokemon? And a slight shiver went down her spine when another thought popped up in her head: Was this Rose's intention from the start? She knew he and Oleana had no qualms about using him for their plans later on, but were they unscrupulous enough to have _groomed_ him into obedience?

"Miss Opal?"

Bede's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Yes, my dear?"

"You look... distracted. Is everything okay?", he asked. His expression was neutral, but Opal could still hear concern in his voice, even if he tried to mask it. She couldn't help but smile. The boy could be sweet, if he wanted to be.

"Yes," she answered, "I was just a little lost in thought. Don't mind it, my boy."

And not minding it he did, giving her a last look, his lips almost curling into a little smile, before he directed his attention back to his Hatterene, which started to gently hum as Bede ran the brush over its hair again, clearly enjoying the care and attention he gave it.

It was clear that the two shared a special bond. Even if it might have run off as a Hatenna, even if it might have given him a pummeling or two as a Hattrem, Bede seemed to love his partner with all his heart. And the feeling seemed to be mutual. Hatterene's were fickle creatures, not shy about showing dislike and distress, often in violent ways. And yet, this Hatterene was kind and loyal to its trainer, even if it could be a little cheeky sometimes. Like trainer, like Pokemon, Opal thought amused. 

"Aaand... done." Bede said, running the brush through the Pokemon's hair one last time before putting it aside. "That should have been most of it."

While Bede looked pleased with himself his Pokemon pouted a little, wanting more affection. But it wasted no time getting up and helping its trainer onto his feet, who in turn reached a hand out towards Opal, helping her up from the forest floor. 

"Thank you, my dear," she said, taking his his hand, "you're quite the gentleman, aren't you?"

This caused Bede to blush, if just a little. "It's no big deal", he muttered.

"I don't mean it because you helped me up. Or not just. You're putting a lot of time and energy into taking care of your Pokemon too, aren't you?"

"Again, it's no big deal," The boy answered. "What kind of trainer would I be if I didn't?"

The two began to make their way back. They walked in silence for a little, with Bede's Hatterene quietly following, before Opal began to speak again. "Say, Bede... I know you have just been to Hammerlocke this morning, but what would you say if we treated ourselves to something sweet in the café there for lunch?"

Bede didn't look at her when he answered. "I... I don't have time. I'm just gonna take a short break and then take care of my Rapidash. It looks even worse than my Hatterene did."

"Nonsense, my dear. There is a beauty salon right next to the café, isn't there? We'll just leave it there before we go eat."

"But..." Bede began to object, but he knew there was little point in arguing with Opal. Likewise, Opal knew that taking care of his Pokemon himself meant a lot to him. Otherwise he probably would have taken them to the salon after his match in the first place. But Bede was young, and someone in their youth needs carefree and fun times, too. Just as it was her responsibility to make a fine gym leader out of him, it was her responsibility to make sure he wouldn't overwork himself too, even if it was for the sake of his beloved Pokemon.

"No buts. I will treat you to the finest sweets and cake they have to offer, whether you like it or not, young man."

That got a small chuckle out of Bede again. "Who said I wouldn't like it? Fine then. I'll call us a Corvicab."

"No need for that, I prefer to walk. And I'd love to hear all the details about your battles with Raihan while doing so, if you don't mind."

And so, Bede got to talking, as the two went onto their way to Hammerlocke.

**Author's Note:**

> sometimes i sit on a 1k word WIP for months, and sometimes i write an almost 2k word fic in little time after some sudden inspiration i guess, huh.


End file.
